To all Massachusetts public history organizations, groups, and institutions and their members, volunteers, and staff:

It’s budget time in Boston.
The Mass History Alliance is speaking with legislators, and we’ll be keeping you abreast of our findings.

The first thing we learned is about the need to support the
Community Preservation Act (CPA)

WHAT IS it and what is HAPPENING?
 Community Preservation Act legislation needs updating so it can remain viable to meet at least a 50% match for the towns that have it.
(This is money paid in real estate fees that go into a state Trust Fund and get  invested directly in civic life of the community.)

This is of vital importance to us. The CPA is one of the few sources of grant funding available to historical organizations to do their work and help keep the door open, and it is local grant funding.

Note: It’s important even to those of us who do not have a Community Preservation Act in their town or city: eventually we may get our towns to pass it. The CPA can help keep our civic life health at a very minimal cost to the taxpayers. Senator Eric Lesser says that he attends many more ribbon cuttings for community projects, parks, and rejuvenated historical sites in his communities that have a Community Preservation Committee than in those that do not.

More explanations: Community Preservation Coalition
Text of the Community Preservation Act

WHAT CAN I DO RIGHT NOW?

There’s a bill in front of the Legislature, An Act to Sustain Community Preservation Revenue  It basically assures that enough money is raised (from a fee charge on mortgages) for the Community Preservation Trust Fund to guarrantee at least a %50 match to the communities.
Download

Right now it is in front of the House Ways and Means committee, 

1) Specifically: Contact the Chair (Jeffrey Sanchez) or other members of this committee, especially as they specifically represent you, asking them to please put their support behind this legislation, and also behind getting it passed in a timely manner. If you have anecdotal or data-based information for them to support this, offer/send it to them.
2) Make a phone call and/or send a postcard to House Ways & Means, 24 Beacon St., Room 243, Boston, MA 02133 Phone: (617) 722-2990
3) Suggest to your members and your community that they do the same.

for the Advocacy Committee
Cliff mcCarthy
Pleun Bouricius